It’s one of those basic Western politenesses, giving each other a handshake at the beginning of a meeting. Men, woman, it does not matter, we don’t think about casual things like this. We can not really empathize with somebody who thinks woman are inferior, dirty and impure. Thus when Muslim say, I don’t want to shake you’re hand, you’re a woman. We are confused, if not shocked.

But not Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen. The same mayor who was named Time Magazine Hero of 2005, the “hate buster” that was “key to the city”. The socialist mayor was not confused or shocked, he actually thought is was OK if his government employees discriminated against woman by refusing to give them a hand. He wants that people respect these Muslim employees who think that woman are impure and should not be given a hand.

The mayor told this after questions, in the city council, of local Christian politician Maurice Limmen. In the ensuing debate he said it did not matter if government workers discriminated against woman or homosexuals. As long as they did their work, he did not see any problem. He was explicitly referring to street coaches and social security personnel. The street coaches are a kind of light police force, who work in the predominately Muslim neighborhoods. The statements of the major show that the city of Amsterdam is creating a parallel systems for Muslims, by Muslims and based on Muslim values.